Now you can be happy with your nose! Our Richmond rhinoplasty procedures can help you take control of the way you look, once and for all. Contact us to schedule a consultation and learn about how we set the standard for rhinoplasty.
Your nose is perhaps the most important feature on your face, so you want to make sure it looks great! Anything less can leave you feeling self-conscious, and detract attention from your beautiful eyes and charming smile. Richmond Plastic Surgeons offers rhinoplasty for men and women in Richmond, Midlothian and surrounding areas of Virginia.
What Exactly Is Rhinoplasty?
Our Richmond nose jobs can be performed for either cosmetic or reconstructive reasons. Cosmetic reasons for rhinoplasty typically involve reshaping the nose, eliminating bumps, increasing or decreasing the size of the nose and nostrils, or correcting a crooked nose.
Whatever your reason for nose shaping surgery may be, the board-certified surgeons at Richmond Plastic Surgeons are here to help you find the look you want.
What Are the Benefits of a Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty helps with issues that might make you feel uncomfortable with your nose:
- Downturned, bulbous, or upturned tip
- An overly large or small nose
- Overly large or small nostrils
- Bumps or depressions
- Trauma-related deformities
- Overly narrow or wide nose
Dr. Wornom – Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty Help Correct Flaws & Reshapes Your Nose
Deformities of the nose sometimes come from injury, but genetics can be responsible, as well. Rhinoplasty (or nose shaping surgery) surgically corrects the shape of your nose, while also addressing breathing issues resulting from structural defects as well.
Every nose is unique, so we offer a personalized approach to each patient at Richmond Plastic Surgeons, to restore your overall facial harmony.
Nose shaping surgery is done as an outpatient at our certified surgery center, the Virginia Center for Plastic Surgery. You can rest assured that some of the best nose surgery Richmond has to offer is done right here.
Incisions are typically hidden inside the nose, or might be placed across the columella (the soft tissue separating the nostrils). During your recovery period, you can expect to wear a postoperative splint across the bridge of your nose (and an internal nasal splint, in some cases), for the first several days.
Who is the Ideal Candidate for Rhinoplasty?
You’re a great candidate for rhinoplasty to improve an aspect of your nose or nostrils If:
- You’ve reached what we call “facial skeletal maturity” (typically occurring during adolescence)
- Have a positive outlook
- Carry realistic expectations
- Are in good health and don’t smoke
Many teenagers want to change their noses early in life. Our board-certified plastic surgeons prefer to wait until girls are at least 14 or 15 years old. Boys should be slightly older.
This helps us ensure that the nose and face are completely developed, and avoiding the need for a revision nose job in the future.
The Best Candidates for Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it won’t necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently.
Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and talk them over with your surgeon.
The best candidates for rhinoplasty are those looking for improvement in the way they look, but realize we can’t manufacture perfection. If you’re physically healthy, psychologically stable, and realistic in your expectations, you may be a good candidate.
Rhinoplasty can be performed to meet your aesthetic goals, or for reconstructive purposes, which might correct birth defects or breathing problems.
What Do I Need to Do Before Having a Rhinoplasty?
Planning Your Surgery
Your first step should always involve setting up a consultation at Richmond Plastic Surgeons, so one of our board-certified surgeons can walk you through the process and help you understand everything you need to know. Good communication between you and your physician is essential.
In your initial consultation, your surgeon will ask what you’d like your nose to look like, evaluate the structure of your nose and face, and discuss the possibilities with you.
They’ll explain the factors that can influence the procedure and your results, such as:
- The structure of your nasal bones and cartilage
- The shape of your face
- The thickness of your skin
- Your age
- Your expectations.
Your surgeon will also explain the techniques and anesthesia they’ll be using, the type of facility where the surgery will be performed, the risks and costs involved, and any options you may have.
Most insurance policies won’t cover a purely cosmetic procedure. If your procedure is reconstructive in nature — to correct a breathing problem or a marked deformity — it may be covered. Check with your insurer, and be sure to obtain pre-authorization. Let your surgeon know if you’ve had any previous nose surgery or an injury to your nose, even if it was many years ago.
You should also inform your surgeon:
- If you have any allergies or breathing difficulties
- If you’re taking any medications, vitamins, or recreational drugs
- If you smoke
Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor any questions you may have, especially with regards to your expectations and concerns about the results.
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Contact UsHow Long Does Rhinoplasty Take?
Rhinoplasty takes one to two hours. Your surgeon will make incisions in the tissue between your nostrils (open rhinoplasty) or inside the nostrils (closed rhinoplasty), before separating the skin from the cartilage and bone. Your surgeon will then work to sculpt the bone and cartilage, grafting pieces to areas that need more shape. The skin will then be draped over your nose, and the incisions will be closed with sutures.
Many surgeons perform rhinoplasty from within the nose, making their incision inside the nostrils. Others prefer an open procedure, especially in more complicated cases; they make a small incision across the columella, the vertical strip of tissue separating the nostrils.
A splint will be placed on your nose to hold the bone in place, but it doesn’t protect your nose from injury, so you take care to protect your nose at all times. Nasal packs or soft plastic splints also may be placed in your nostrils to stabilize your septum, the dividing wall between the air passages.
What to Expect After Rhinoplasty
Your face will feel swollen for about 24 hours, and you may also have a headache, along with an aching nose. Bleeding is normal, and we may pack your nose with gauze to control it. We’ll be sure to provide medication to help with the discomfort, and you will need to stay in bed with your head elevated for the first day. After two days, you can begin to move around and resume very light activities. You can return to work after one week.
The bruising and swelling around your eyes and nose may increase for the first three days, so a cold compress can help you manage the swelling and discomfort. Bruising can develop around your eyes and nose, but it will significantly subside after about two weeks.
Your nose may feel stuffy for a few weeks, and you’ll want to refrain from blowing your nose until you’re fully healed.
Avoid strenuous activities for three weeks. Full healing from nose shaping surgery takes about eight weeks. Prior to that, your nose is susceptible to injury with even minor impacts.
FAQ
Will I Have Scars After My Rhinoplasty?
If you have incisions on the outside of your nose, the scars will be very inconspicuous.
When Will I See the Results?
You can see the real improvements of your nose job after about two weeks, when the swelling is mostly gone.
What Are Possible Complications of Rhinoplasty?
Our board-certified surgeons, utilize a wide range of experience and the most advanced procedures to avoid complications like: Infection, Nosebleeds, Red spots on the skin caused by damaged blood vessels,and other Imperfections caused by the technique used during the procedure. After surgery, small burst blood vessels may appear as tiny red spots on your skin; these are usually minor but may be permanent. In very rare cases, a second procedure may be required to correct something like a minor deformity. Such cases are unpredictable, and happen even to patients of the most skilled surgeons. The corrective surgery is usually minor.
How Long Will the Results of a Nose Job Last?
The results of your nose job are permanent, as long as you don’t suffer an injury to your nose.
How Much Does Rhinoplasty Cost in Richmond?
Medical insurance considers cosmetic rhinoplasty as elective, so they likely won’t cover the cost. After your consultation, we’ll provide you with an accurate and comprehensive cost breakdown for your nose job. Richmond Plastic Surgeons accepts several forms of payment, including CareCredit® financing.